Jihad - a Soldier's Tale
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| Jihad - a Soldier's Tale | |
|---|---|
| Product information | |
| Type | Short Story/Serial |
| Author | Ben H. Rome Herbert A. Beas II (Epilogue) |
| Pages | (21 diary entries) |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | (Forum thread) |
| First published | 31 May 2006-9 January 2009 |
| Content | |
| Era | Jihad era |
| Timeline | unspecified (ca. 3060-3067) |
Jihad - a Soldier's Tale was originally a diary-style series of log entries posted on the BattleTech Forum by Ben Rome on 31 May 2006, with one final chapter added on 25 June 2007. Purporting to be the personal entries of an initially unnamed Word of Blake trooper, the diary presents his viewpoint about the various conflicts he finds himself fighting in. On 9 January 2009, Line Developer Herbert A. Beas II added what appears to be an epilogue to the story.
The thread was lost in the 2011 forum crash, though Ben Rome mentioned he considered republishing it via BattleCorps.
Contents
Canonicity[edit]
Although it started as a private project by BattleTech author Ben Rome, the story itself was officially declared to be canon by the Line Developer midway through its "publication" on the forum.
Overview[edit]
Although no locations or timestamps are given, circumstantial evidence suggests the diary to narrate operations on the worlds of Keid, Caph and Epsilon Eridani in the years between 3060 and 3067.
The journal entries are numbered, but, with the exception of the last two entries, always jump ahead between 2 and 61 numbers with each new entry (beginning with Entry #455 and ending with Entry #852). Sometimes, details are written out as "[censored]".
The narrator is a loyal believer in the Word of Blake religion and ideals and, owing to his own background, considers the Word of Blake a benevolent and meaningful organization. The original idea behind the story was to present the Word of Blake's view of the events leading up to the Jihad, as seen by one of their rank and file. However, the last two entries (which were added to the story after 18 months and then after another 2) and the epilogue reveal the narrator to be none other than Benjamin Emory, who became Precentor Berith of the fearsome Manei Domini.
References[edit]